Thread by @nireyal

1/ How can we motivate people to make healthy decisions and be more productive?

Before we answer that, we have to know the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

2/ Extrinsic motivation relies upon factors outside ourselves, such as the approval of others, to provide an incentive for action.

Examples of extrinsic motivators include the pursuit of money, social status, praise, food, material wealth, or fame.

3/ Here’s where things get interesting.

Studies reveal that high stakes rewards, like cash bonuses, can hinder cognitive capacity because they shift our focus away from the task and onto the outcome.

We can become preoccupied with rewards instead of just doing the work.

4/ Studies find people perform worse on tasks requiring imagination and ingenuity when they are offered extrinsic rewards, such as higher pay.

Extrinsic motivators are effective for clearly defined tasks.

For creative work, on the other hand, intrinsic motivation is better.

5/ Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do something for its own sake.

With intrinsic motivation, we enjoy the action as its own reward, and we do it without taking money, fortune, or fame into account.

6/ Intrinsic motivation provides us with fulfillment for the work we do and only by understanding the different kinds of motivation can we use extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in concert.

7/ For a deeper look at the science, you can check out the full article!

nirandfar.com/extrinsic-moti…